A Life Worth Living
by mentalsunflower
Summary: Hotaru is feeling rather depressed-like always. Just when she thinks it's all over, a young girl comes to rescue her from a vortex of misery...


**A/N**: Okay…I haven't researched and/or watch Sailor Moon in AGES. Only because the stupid losers don't show it anymore…grumble grumble…BUT Sailor Saturn IS my favorite, therefore, a small one shot on her. It may not be exactly like her-but ya know. Hope ye liketh.

PS: This is about when Hotaru first met Rini-YES, I live in North America—deal with the name change, all right? And I changed the way they meet-big whoop, it's MY story.

**Disclaimer**: Nothing belongs to me in this story-only my WONDERFUL spacing.

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Tomoe Hotaru struggled to keep the black umbrella within her grasp. The winds ripped at her flesh and tore at her hair. Her eyes blinked rapidly in trying to stay open, but the forceful winds and pouring rain caused them to close as soon as she came near to holding them open for more than one second.

"No, no, no!" She muttered, thin, pale hands gripping firmly onto the fly away umbrella. "You stay with _me_."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Hotaru sighed. Well, she tried—but her mouth wouldn't open in fear of being filled with torrents of rain.

_What a day for Dad to forget to pick me up._ Hotaru thought grimly, a sudden burst of wind ripping at her umbrella. Unable to keep it in her hold anymore, Hotaru let it fly off into the sky. She stood for a moment, shielding her eyes, to see her umbrella being whipped in the air, tree branches ripping through its thin stretch of material, and the metal rods bending under the winds pressure.

Her mind came back to earth once her black hair (near purple) started to whip around her violet eyes. "I'm going, I'm going." She muttered, turning around to brave the wind once more. Holding the collar of her jacket higher, Hotaru struggled to walk the next 3 blocks to her mansion home.

But she knew she couldn't make it. A body as weak as hers was bound to putter out in a storm like this. But of course, Hotaru was used to it. Her body had always been sickly and weak; she constantly felt it, anyway. Her body was frail and pale, as if to show that little bit more she was as weak as everyone thought.

_I should just give up_. She thought sadly, her hands starting to shiver from the cold as she slowed to barely a snail's pace. _It's not like anyone would care._

The girl often had thoughts like these-with a dead mother, and a father who constantly stuffed himself in his lab, she really didn't have anyone. Any girl who constantly lived her life alone would think things like this. Not to mention everyone in school thought she was a considerable freak for being able to heal things—even she herself didn't understand how magic like that worked.

_But I've always believed in magic_. She chided herself. Realizing she could heal people hadn't surprised her—Hotaru could always feel a strong power deep within herself, and when the healing had begun to show itself, she had realized that feeling must have been it.

_But…it feels like more. Stronger, than just that little healing bit I can do._

A lash of wind caught her around the neck, she heard a sickening crack of bone as her neck whipped to the side, causing her whole body to crash to the right. A large stone wall didn't help soften the blow somewhat either.

"Ow…" She moaned, rubbing at her neck. _That_ was going to hurt in the morning.

More rain fell down on her frail body, and wind howled past. The thunder was getting closer, and through all the stormy clouds she could make out flashes of lightning. Great. Just what she needed. A huge thunderstorm that would probably end up killing her.

So, finally, she had given up. She rested her head against the wall, momentarily shielded by a large street sign. She wiped the soaking wet hair off of her face so she was able to see. Her thin, autumn coat was soaked through-she didn't need to look to know, she could feel the icy water already sinking into her bloodstream. Hotaru closed her eyes, hoping to become lost in that little world she looked forward to so much.

Ouch. Something sharp just jabbed at the edge of her brain. Oh no…it was that feeling; that dark, eerie feeling she got when she was about to fall unconscious. It _always_ happened at the most inopportune of times. She did _not_ want to fall unconscious here, in the middle of a storm! She would die-she knew it…

But there it was, coming closer—she could feel a deep evil within it, and she shuddered. What was it? Why did it constantly haunt her night and day, when she had never asked for such a punishment?

Her eyelids flickered. _NO!_ Hotaru shrieked inwardly. "I—I can't…" She moaned, lifting her hands to hold her eyelids open. "No…" She hissed, feeling her arms start to become heavier.

A sigh escaped from her mouth—one that was not her own. It was frustrated-agitated, if you will. As if it were the spirit possessing her. The feeling was overtaking her body, slowly but surely…

"Hey! Whatcha doin' here?" A chirpy voice seemed to ring throughout Hotaru's ears. She blinked rapidly, noticing the feeling starting to shrink away from her body. It crawled slowly up from her legs and torso, until it was only encased in her brain. With a final inward shout, the feeling almost—hissed?—and vanished. She let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes once more. Those occasional times when she pushed it away were a relief. But…something had caused it to run…a voice…

"Hey! Are you even _listening_?" The high-pitched voice: almost a squeak, moaned in a somewhat whiney tone. Hotaru's eyes snapped open.

"Huh?"

She looked up from her kind of flopped over laying position to see a girl a bit shorter than her standing there. She had bright pink hair pulled up into two ponytails. Her eyes were a red-not eerie and evil, but kind of sparkly and cheerful. She wore on a school uniform, one different than Hotaru's though. She wore a kind of confused smile, and held a small pink backpack.

"Oh-sorry." Hotaru hadn't realized just how dry her voice was—she didn't talk that often. She coughed loudly to get the soreness out of her throat. The girl frowned slightly.

"So—whatcha doin' here?"

Hotaru glanced up at her, her stomach churning. Someone—actually talking to her?

"I'm—hiding from the storm." She saw the girl reach her hand out to the sky, as if waiting for a gift.

"Hmm…the sun's shinin', not a could in the sky…not even a _raindrop_!" She giggled incessantly. Hotaru almost felt the urge to glare at her—but she wasn't that kind of person.

"But—I could swear…a HUGE storm took my umbrella, and I-I'm not that strong, so I had to rest, and…" She glanced down at her clothes to see them dry. She was a bit weirded out—but even more odd things had happened before. "But—didn't you walk in the storm? It was here only a few moments ago…" She fell silent, not wanting to wreck what could be, at least a _temporary_ friendship.

The girl shrugged. "Maybe you're going crazy!" With another giggle, she smiled. Hotaru gave her a dry grin and started to stand up, hand against the wall to steady herself.

"Maybe…" She muttered. Beads of sweat started to form on her neck. She shuddered and felt her body collapsing underneath her.

"Huh-what the…" Hotaru heard the girl mutter. Great. She was going to collapse in front of this girl who would probably run away and tell all her annoying little girly friends—

She stopped. Her body was being held up by something…she glanced to the left to see the girl holding her arm up with her shoulders. She gave Hotaru a smile.

"Wow. Maybe there was a storm-you look pretty sick." She pursed her lips. "How about I help you the rest of the way home?"

Hotaru blushed. "No-it's not necessary—"

"Who _cares_? I'll walk you anyway." The girl picked up her bag again, and steadied Hotaru with her arms. The two started to slowly hobble down the street, all the while Hotaru feeling like a fool.

"So, I'm Rini. Who're you?" She asked. Hotaru hesitated, but soon gave in.

"Hotaru…" She fell silent.

"Hotaru…that means firefly! Cool! Lucky you." She put on a pouty face, and Hotaru giggled. She always felt happy when people admired her name…

_Wait. Did I just GIGGLE_? Hotaru thought wildly in her head. She never giggled. She preferred reading a book in her room, in the dark, the only light her many lamps…

The rest of the walk was in a silence. Not awkward or creepy though-it was a pleasant silence-one much different than the one Hotaru was used to as she entered her house everyday.

"Here's my house." She finally managed with a smile. The mansion loomed down on them, and Rini let her mouth hang open.

"Whoah…you live _HERE_?" Hotaru giggled again. _Again_.

"Yea…nothing special, really."

"That's a lie! It's SOOO cool!" She grinned up at Hotaru. "You're SO lucky!"

Hotaru gave her a smile back, though it meant nothing. Lucky, my foot. She thought.

"Well, anyway, I guess I better-you know-go in." Wow. She had actually had a conversation with someone. Amazing.

"Oh. Okay. Well, it was nice meeting you Hotaru! I hope we can do something sometime. You're pretty cool!" Hotaru blushed at Rini's words.

"Sounds…cool." She murmured. Rini grinned even wider.

"You sure you can make it in?"

"Of course."

"All right then. See ya around Hotaru!"

And with that, the little girl bounced off down the sidewalk. Hotaru watched her go until her figure faded on the horizon.

_That was weird…I feel some sort of connection with her…and not just any old one…it seems deeper…_ With a shrug she opened the large iron gates into her home.

"But now—now I have a real friend!" She finally realized. "Even though she is a little hyper and talks a lot-that's okay. It's better than being alone…" A sudden memory of the storm flashed through her mind, and yet again, Hotaru still didn't understand how it had vanished just as the girl came. Was she some sort of good omen?

You're pretty cool… 

The words echoed in her head, and Hotaru gave a genuine smile-that was rare.

"I-I'm not alone anymore." She managed as she trudged along the path to her front doors.

The realization of the words hit her, and she grinned even wider.

"I'm not _alone_ anymore!"

**A/N**: Tada. Suckiness abounds. I'm sorry-I can barely remember anything. Okay, that's a lie, but I TRIED to get it close…please don't nitpick the little details, I know it's bad. And when she speaks of a deeper connection, it's Mistress 9 –hint hint- the eerie feelings –end hint hint- realizing Rini's pure heart…and juse that Hotaru and Rini were meant to be friends!

R&R please!


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